Rail-joint.



Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

aim Kassier J.- KESSLER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 24, 1914.

1. KESSLER.

RAIL JOINT.

N FILED Nov v 4APPLlCATlO 4.19l4. 1,151,275. Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

3 EEEEEEEEEEEE 2.

l. KESSLER.

, RAILJolNT. APPLICATION FILED HOV 24| 914- y l 151,275. Patented Aug. 24, 1915. 7 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JOHN KESSVLER, 0F MASI-IALLTON, DELAWARE.

nain-.Torna Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Aug. 24, 19315.

Application ile. November 24, 1914. Serial No. 873,788.

To @ZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN KEssLEn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marshallton, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

T he present invention relates to improvements in means for connecting the ends of railway rails and the object of the invention is to produce a device 'of this class which is comparatively simple and which shall be thoroughly e'ective in .securing the rails against lateral or vertical movement, preventing the tilting of the rails as well as the creeping of the same, butaifording the said rails the limited longitudinal movement necessary for expansion and contraction.

With the above and other objects in view, theimprovementresides in the construction, combination and arrangementk of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims. In the drawings.: Figure'l is a perspective view of two rails connected in accordance' with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view approximately on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the base plate, Fig. 4: is a sectional View approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 but illustrating a filler plate inserted between the members comprising the base plate to widen the same to permit of the accommodation of a rail having a widened base, Fig. 5 is a sectional view approximately on the line eof Fig. 3 showing the strut flanges arranged within :the sleeve, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a base plate in which the strut flanges are dispensed with, Fig. 7 is a similar view of a ,still further modified' form of base yplante jin which the same is provided with a central channel and a filleror brace member arranged within the channel, Fig. 8 is a; transverse sectional view approximately on the line 8 8 of Fig. l, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the sh plates, Fig. 10 is a similar view of one of the splice bars, Fig. 11 is an elevation of the bolt with' the jamr and locking nuts thereon, Fig. l2 is a face view of the jam nut, Fig. 13 is an elevation of the locking nut, and Fig. lll is .a sectional view illustrating the manner of securing the lock nut upon the jam nut. l

Referring now to the drawings in detail, R-R indicate the meeting ends of two rails which in turn rests upon at least two of the ties'T. The base plate in the preferred form Of the device includes two similar members each being formed upon its outer edge and 6 at a suitable distance from its opposite ends with a longitudinally extending vertically 'projectingl guard rib 2 said plates beingy formed upon their inner longitudinal edges, at a suitable distance from their opposite 7 ends with depending longitudinally extending flange members 4, the same providing truss plates or reinforcements for the central portion of the base l. The plate l is illustrated in detail in Fig. 3 of the drawings 7 and it will be noted that the members beyond the ends of the guard ribs 2 and likewise beyond the truss flanges 4, are provided with spike openings 5, and the plates are connected by suitable securing means 6, such as nuts 8 and bolts, which pass through transverse openings in the flanges vl. rThe plate is of a width to accommodate ordinary rails, but if it is required ythat the plates receive rails having extraordinaryy wide base portions, a 8 filler plate or block 7 may be inserted between lthe meeting ends of the plates and secured thereto by the elements 6, such construction being illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. Further, to reinforce the structure a sleeve 8 may be provided which snugly receives the flanges 4, and, as above stated, ller members may be arranged between the flanges to force the outer faces of the same against the inner faces of the substantially U-shaped sleeve 8, the securing elements 6 retainingfthefsleeve upon theflanges (see Fig. 5);V

In Fig. 6 of the drawings there isillustrated an integral base or rail plate 9 which is substantially similar to that previously described, the same including side guard ribs t l0 which are spaced from the ends of said plate and the portions of the plate beyond the ends of said guard ribs l0 are provided with spike openings ll. 'Ihe plate 9 is not provided with the brace or truss flanges l and is designed for use upon a rail joint which is not subjected to heavy traffic.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated a still further 110 form of base or rail plates, the same being indicated by the numeral 11 and includes vside ribs 12 similar to the ribs 10 and 2.

'2,5 lfor the reception of a V-'shaped filler blockv or reinforcing plate 15.

The guard ribs do not contact with the longitudinal edges of the bases of the rails, andthe webs of the rails are provided with the usual elongatedbolt openings. Duplicate joint bars 17 are applied upon the opposite sides of the abutting rail ends and fit the fishing lspaces of thefish plates or filler members associated therewith in a manner to be more particularly'explained. The joint bars are ofthe angle bar type,

each consisting of an upright splice member 18 having its upper edge provided with an angular bearing head 19 and its lower edge formed with the inclined outwardly extendingV foot flange 20, the extremity of which vbeing provided with a depending longitudinally extending rib 21 which is adapted to abut with the inner face of the ribs 2 of an of theV base plates 1 previously described. 'Ihe filler or fish plates of the joint members 17 each comprise a curved reduced flexible body portion or web 22 having its upper edge provided with an outturned head 23, the opposite walls or faces of which being angular, the upper face engaging the underface of the head of the rail andthe lower face being engaged by the angular head 19 of the member 18. rIhe opposite edge of the member 22 is outturned providing a fiat face 24 which is contacted by the lower straight face of the member 18. VThe fish or filler plates 22 and the vertical member 18 of the angle bar of the joint bars 17 are provided witlr a plurality of spaced openings which register with the openings v in the webs of the rails, bolts 25 passing through the said openings. These bolts have their ends engaging with jam nuts 26, and the said bolts are provided with reduced extensions 27 having their threads at a different pitch from the threads engaged by the bolts 26, the said extensions 27 being engaged by lock nuts 28. The jam nuts 26 preferably have their outer faces provided with a plurality of scallops 29 and the locking nuts 28 are provided with malleable flanges 30 upon their inner faces, so that after thejam nuts have been screwed entirely home upon the main threads of the bolts 25 and the lock nuts screwed entirely home or into tight frictional contact with the outer faces of the jam nuts, a violent blow of a hammer upon the flange 30 will cause the said flange to be bent into one of the scallops 29, and thus eiectively lock the nuts upon the bolts.

In Fig. 14 the jam nut 31 may have its outer face smooth, and the flange 32 of the locking nut 33 extended so a portion of the same'maybe bent over. one ofthe sides or Yfaces of the nut 31,.as indicated by the the walls provided by the said scallops' or cut away portions 35.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the simplicity of the device, `as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such invention appertains without Yfurther detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a rail joint, the combination with two abutting rails, ties for the rails, abase plate upon the ties and providing rests lfor the rails at the ends of the rails, said plate including guard ribs which terminate a distance from the ends of the plate, duplicate joint bars arranged upon the opposite sidesv of the abutting rail ends, each of the said bars comprising an angle member, the upper member of each having an angular inwardly extending head, its lower portion provided with an outwardly extending rail engaging foot, said foot being formed with a downturned flange which contacts with the guard flange of the base plate, the corners of the foot being notched fish plates, each having a reduced web portion and an outwardly extending head which rests upon the head of the angle bar and beneath the heads of the rails, and the lower portion of each of said fish plates having an outturned member which contacts with the flat inner face of the joint bars, securing spikes passing through the base plates and having their heads resting upon the baseV flanges of the rails and contacting with the walls provided by the notched corners of the joint bars, and transverse means for connecting the joint.

2. In a rail joint, the combination with two abutting rails, ties for the rails, a base plate upon the ties and providing rests for' lower portion provided with an outwardly extending rail engaging foot, said foot being formed with a downturned flange which contacts with the guard flange of the base plate, the corners of the foot being notched, iish plates each having a reduced web portion and an outwardly extending head which rests upon the head of the respective joint bars and beneath the heads of the rails, and.

the lower portion of each of the said ish plates having an outturned member which contacts with the flat inner face of the joint bars, securing spikes passing through the base plates and having their heads resting upon the base flanges of the rails and contacting with the walls provided by the notched corners of the joint bars, and transverse means for connecting the joint.

3. In a rail joint, the combination with two abutting rails, ties for the rails, a base plate upon the ties and providing rests for the rails at the meeting ends of the rails, said plate including guard ribs which terminate a distance from the ends of the plate, said plate comprising two members each being formed with a depending truss iange, means for connecting the ianges, duplicate joint bars arranged upon the opposite sides of the abutting rail ends, said bars each comprising an angle member, having an angular inwardly extending head, the lower portion and each of the said bars being provided with an outwardly extending engaging foot, said foot being formed with a downturned flange which contacts with the guard flange of the base plate, the corners of the foot being notched, plates each having a reduced web portion and an outwardly eX- tending head which rests upon the head of the joint bars and beneath the heads of the rails, and the lower portion of each of said iish plates having an outturned member which contacts with the flat inner :tace of the joint bars, securing spikes passing through the base plates and having their heads resting upon the base flanges of the rails and contacting with the walls provided by the corners of the joint bars, and transverse means for connecting the joint.

e. In a rail joint, the combination with two abutting rails, ties for. the rails, a base plate upon the ties and providing rests for the rails at the ends of the rails, said plate including guard ribs which terminate a distance from the ends of the plate, ,said plate comprising two members each being centrally formed with a depending truss iange, a filler member between the flanges, means for connecting the flanges, duplicate joint bars arranged upon the opposite sides of the abutting rail ends, said bars each comprising an angle member, the upper portion of each member having an angular inwardly extending head, the lower portion and each of said bars provided with an outwardly extending rail engaging foot, said foot being formed with a downturned flange which contacts with the guard iiange of the base plate, the corners of the foot being notched, iish plates each having a reduced web portion and an outwardly extending head which rests upon the head of the joint bars and beneath the heads of the rails, and the lower portion of each of the said fish plates having an outturned member which contacts with the flat inner face of the joint bars, securing spikes passing through the base plates and having their heads resting upon the base flanges of the rails and contacting with the walls provided by the notched corners of the joint bars, and transverse means for connecting the joint.

In testimony whereof I aliix my Signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN KESSLER. Nitnessesz RATHMELL 7W. RAMBO, Sr., VILLIAM D. AUSTIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, ID. C. 

